Indian Army Cavalry Dress Tunic

**Warspite** · 07-12-2016, 03:22 PM

I have just bought this Officer's dress cavalry tunic. From the label in the pocket I think it would be from the Indian Army, but I will need to do some research to find out which regiment it might belong to. I only have the seller's photographs to go off at the moment, but I can't wait to get it in my hands as it looks and absolute belter!

**Jerry B** · 07-12-2016, 08:02 PM

Looks good, I have cap by the same tailors so they also made for the British army as it is for the RWF. The RWF were in India in c.1937-38 and throughout WW2 until they served in the far east.

**Warspite** · 07-12-2016, 08:08 PM

Thanks Jerry, will include my 1900 UK copy of dress regulations in my research materials as well then! White does not seem a common colour, the nearest I can find so far is the Imperial Cadet Corps, but they had sky blue rather than red facings.

**BobS** · 07-15-2016, 01:49 AM

A good looking tunic, but I beleve it's for an infantry regiment, Appears to be light khaki with maroon or crimson facings?
Now, is it pre -1922, when the regiments were much more numerous, or post 1922, the era of the large regiments?
My initial thought is a Punjabi regiment, or one of the Frontier Force regiments.
I have many uniform books, but Indian Army uniform details can be elusive.
Good luck.

BobS

**Warspite** · 07-15-2016, 08:14 AM

Thanks Bobs, its been suggested it might be Guides Cavalry as they had a khaki uniform with red facings, it depeneds on the shade of the jacket when it arrives as well- it looks very white in the photographs but that might just be the camera. Certainly a google search for Guides Cavalry uniforms throws up images of very similar uniforms. I will have to wait and see when it gets here.

**BobS** · 07-15-2016, 11:29 PM

It's not a Guides tunic, as the chest braiding on their tunics was different than on this one.

BobS

**Warspite** · 07-16-2016, 09:04 AM

Thanks Bobs, the search continues. Hopefully in person the label will be readable with his name and regiment but I'm not hopeful! Looking through my 1900 dress regulations the lace pattern on the sleeves matches a lieutenant and the chest cords look like those for a hussars regiment. Unfortunately no hussars regiment is listed as having white or khaki jackets so it looks likely it's for a colonial regiment.

**Warspite** · 07-22-2016, 06:56 PM

It's arrived and in person it's khaki rather than white:

I have managed to find this photograph on Pintrest of a Guides Cavalry Officer's tunic- looks a close match to me, but this is for a captain rather than a lieutenant so has different collar lace:

Must admit that I'm absolutely stoked to add this to my collection, even if it's rather damaged as I love anything Indian and this is a gorgeous piece.

**BobS** · 07-22-2016, 11:27 PM

I have a number of photos of Guides officers in uniform books, and the chest braiding is most definitely NOT this pattern. That photo on Pinterest is incorrect. Sorry that I cannot upload the photos.
Nice tunic, whatever it turns out to be.

BobS

**BobS** · 07-23-2016, 01:39 AM

The following quote is from "Indian Army Uniforms-Cavalry" by W.Y.Carman, regarding a British officer's uniform for Guides Cavalry: " The Dress Regulations of 1886 give many details of the dress. The British officers were to have red velvet facings on their drab uniform and the lace was to be drab silk. The tunic was hussar pattern woth five quadruple rows of drab silk cord hanging loosely across the chest. The shoulder straps were plaited drab silk with silver badges of rank. The 1901 dress regulations repeated most of the foregoing notes for British officers."

BobS